Securing trim panels



Nov. 5,- 1935. B. c PLACE sEcURING TRIM PANELS original Filed Aug. 28, 195o -Patented Nov. 5, [1935- PATENT OFFICE amm e sncmmra Tam ramms- Bion c. rla, Detroit, Mien., assigner' of one- Georg meh.

Original application .August Divided and' c E.Gagnier, Detroit,

zs, 1930. semi No. om poumon august 25,1931, sei-mm. 559,306 -s Claims. '(cl. is-iss) This invention relates to a method and arrangement for securingtrim panels or the like to the' supporting structure of an automobile or similar body by means of fasteners. particularly of the.

one-piece spring type, requiring only perforations or openings in thepanel and supporting stz'ucture.. y

While this invention is intended for use par ticularly in trim or panels to the interior of automobile bodies, it is .capable of beling put to many other uses, especially in situations in ture, vto which material is to be attached by means of fasteners, is inaccessible for the application Vof nuts, cotter-pins, etc., and in which'the material -is to be yieldably held tossici-'supporting structure by the fasteners with ,effective yielding pressure.

An object ofthe invention isto' provide a novel zo arrangement for securing trim panels by a onepiece wire fastener. of the spring ltype, formed by bending the wire between its ends to provide the spring holding portions of' the fastener and by bending the'ends thereof to form two separated lheadsections.vv

t A further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for securing trim panels by a one-piece fastener including a resilient' shank and headsections, the overall transverse l0 ension of which in one direction is substanrtiallygreater than the overall transverse dimension in a direction at right angles to said rst direction, so that the fastener may be applied to the body or foundation of a'trim panel, after 5 .the covering of the outer facethereof has been applied thereto,Y by inserting said head in an elongated slot of. regular form, and'turning the fastener throughaanlangle of 90 degrees after 'the head has been inserted inv said slot, -so that l the major dimension of the head sections then extends across'the slot. Y f

further object of the invention is to secure panels by a one-piece spring fastener having apairof head sections arranged in subi stantial'spaced relation so as to permit relative movement of said sections and so as to widely dstribute the yielding pressure on the materialsecured,by the fastener over substantial areas at each side of the opening traversed by the-shank of the fastener. v

A still further object of the invention is to se' cure trim panels by a spring fastener, of the type that includes a yieldable shank, portions of which diverge from the point of the fastener, thatiirst -enters the opening or socket provided to receive of bearing ofthe which the rear of the supporting struca continutmslyit, in which the spring portions of the shank of V the fastener iiex with respectto said point, where- -by-a relatively great leverage is' 'provided' between the point at which iiexure occurs and the point head or headsections of the B fastener on the panel secured thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement for securing trim panels that the fasteners. 7

Still another object is to attach -trimpanels to supporting structures of thicknesses that vary 15 widely by means of identical fasteners designed to apply a. yielding pressure on the' panel, Athe yielding pressure jbeing the result oi.' the action of relatively longv spring fastener arms on sep; arated head sections ofthe fastener. Further objects of the invention will appear'as a description-thereof proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figures 1, 2, and 3 are respectively, plan, side and end elevations of a preferred form of fastener forming an essential part of this invention.

Figure V4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a l trim panel for an automobile body held in position by one of. said fasteners', the outer covering fabric being omitted to expose the fastener and the '30.

underlying construction.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Figurefi with the fabric -cover in position.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional viewy taken 35 'y on the plane indicated bythe-line -of`Fig'- ure 5 v this invention is, preferably, formed from asingle piece of wirebent to provide a resilient shank extending normally to a head, the latter consisting of two parts or-sections, eachpart being formed from an end of the wire, the midportion of which is bent to form said shank. of the fastener. In order to form said fastener, the wireis bent vat approximately its middleportion, providinga rounded nose portion l0. From said nose portion thewire is bowed outwardly providing di- 'vergentlyformedportions Il and I2 that serve to guide the fastener in the opening of the supporting structure,

, widely spaced headsections,

which portions are hereinafter termed guiding portions. The portions of the bowed wire adjacent the guiding portions converge and provide holding portions I3 and I4. The ends of the wire are then bent in opposite directions into planes at right angles to the plane of the shank of the fastener formed in the manner just described, providing spaced head sections I5 and I6. Preferably, each of the headsections I5 and I8 is of circular form,although it will be readily understood that it may assume any desired configuration, the circular form being preferred because it is unnecessary, in making such sections, to bend the wire sharply at any point. While wire .having a substantial thickness in the direction of flexure is preferred, the fastener may b formed of any strip of material capable of being effectively fabricated into the indicated form.

It will be observedlthat the head sections I5 and I6 are spaced relatively widely apart, and

that the head section I5 is resiliently carried by the portionsof the wire consistingvof. the guiding portion I land the holding portion I3, while the head section I6 is carried resiliently by the portion of the wire including the guiding portion I2 and the holding portion Il, and that, when said head sections are brought toward each other, the vine sexes at the return bend, that has resumed in the nose I0 before referred to.

A fastener is thus provided having relatively each of vwhich is supported by an arm flexing at a point that is spaced substantially inwardly from the head sections, thus providing a relatively long arm for the support of each of said sections. This arrangement results in a fastener having a high degree of resilience, and said arms, accordingly, serve to yieldingly press the material secured by the fastener against the supporting structure.

One manner of use of the fastener is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing, which shows the fastener applied for the purpose of securing a trim panel to the supporting structure of an automobile body. The supporting structure I1, may be part of the inside of the metallic framework of an automobile door, for example, or any other part. In order to secure the trim panel thereto by means of thel fastener of the present invention, itis only necessary to form openings I8 in the supporting structure. Such openings are formed, as will be readily-under panels.

stood,at intervals along the portions of the supporting structure opposite to the edges of the panels, that are to. be applied theretoso that the fasteners arearranged at relatively closely spaced intervals around the periphery of the Trim panels, as generally used for finishing automobile bodies comprise a body I9 of fibrous or similar material and a fabric cover 2l for the outer or exposed surface of the body of the panel. Such fabric cover is wrapped around the edges of the body IQ. as illustrated at 2I, andit is desirable to be able to apply the fasmaterial has been applied thereto. This makes it necessary to 4apply the fastener from the rear or uncovered face of the panel body. To enable this to be done the body I! is provided with elongated slots 22, having a length corresponding approximately `to the major dimension of the head sections and of a width corresponding to the minor transverse dimension' of the head of the fastener. Y

InaDDlyinsatrim paneltotheinteriorofan automobile body, by means of the fasteners of this application, the panel is provided with a fabric covering and with elongated openings 22 Iat regularly spaced intervals adacent the periphery thereof. The improved fasteners are 5 then inserted in the elongated slots 22 by moving the heads through said slots from the rear of the body of the panel, and after the heads are disposed between the fabric 20 and the outer face of the body I9 the fasteners are turned l0 through degrees to the position indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. In this position the head sections I5 and I6 bear upon substantial areas of the body 'of the panel at both sides of the slot 22.

After the fasteners Ahave been assembled with respect to the panels as just described, the panels are applied to the supporting structure by bringing the noses III of each of the fasteners opposite the openings I8 in the supporting structure 20 and applying pressure to force the shanks of the fasteners through said openings IB. The diameter ofthe openings I8 is less than the major transverse dimension of -the shank of the fastener, and when such pressure is applied the guid- 25 ing portions II and I2 as they move through the openings cause the head sections to approach each other, sufficient clearance being always provided between said head sections to permit the fastener to enter the openings I8. After the widest portion of the fastener has been sufliciently contracted to permit the passage of,this portion of the shank of the fastener, the holding portions I3 and Il spring apart' engaging the side walls of the opening and serving to draw 35 Athe material toward the supporting structure by means of a resilient wedging action. Inasmuch as in contracting the fastener, the flexure between the two arms of the shank of thefastener takes place at the point l0, it will be understood 40 thatl the resilient pressure is applied to the panel by means of the relatively long spring arms extending from said point, as above pointed out.

Inv applying trim panels to the supporting structure of an automobile body it sometimes ap- 45 -pears that the opening I8 in the supporting structure is not in exactly the desired position. If the opening should be slightly above or below its proper position, the fastener can be slid along the length of the elongated slot 22. If the open- 5I ing I8 is slightly to one side of its correct position, the fastener of this invention will nevertheless serve to firmly hold the covering materialin proper position because of the fact that it does not completely nil the opening and is capable 01.5 substantial lateral contraction that would automatically compensate for any improper positioning ofthe opening I8 to the degree that occurs in practice.

. It is accordingly unnecessary, with the present Il invention, to provide a fastener that is free to move in all directions, and it is preferred to have the holding portions I3 and Il when thel fastener has been shifted to the proper position enthe fastener receiving openings must be located at points at which there are two or even three thic'lm of metal, provided generally by over'- lapping of adjacent sheet metal parts. The described fastener is capable of 'satisfactory use under such circumstances.

If desired, the modified arrangement shown in Figure 7 may be employed. In this form of the invention the frictional engagement of the holding portions I3v and I4 with the sides of the slot 22 and the wall lof the opening itvneed not be relied upon to maintain the fastener in the position in which the head sections rest on the portions of the panel opposite said sides. i To prevent all possibility of rotation of the `fastener from its proper operative position to an extent necessary to permit disengagement of the head from the panel, the supporting structure i1 may be provided with an elongated slot 23 whose major dimension extends in a direction at right angles to the major dimensions of the slot 22. This arrangement precludes the turning ofthe fastener in the direction necessary to detach it from the panel after the assembly of the panel and the supporting structure has been effected. 1

In order to produce a fastener having the degree of stiffness essential to serve the purpose just described, I have found that it is desirable to avoid tempering the wireof which the fastener is made until after it hasbeenbent into the completed form. I have found that tempered wire having the degree of stiffness nu; tousein practice for the above-purpose, cann be bent into the desired forni without rupture of the wire,

or at lstlwithout seriously weakeningit at the. which it is essential that it have theA Point Y greatest strength. The fastener above mentioned accordingly is formed from soft wh'e:

The wire is bent, while in this condition into the form of the fastener. This may bereadily accomplished by machine. After the fastenerv has Aall respectsasillustrativeandnotrestxictivatho relationshiptosaidhead sections and `through saidperforation and openinganda're-v scope of the invention being indicatedfby the ap.-

pended claims bythe foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning andrangeofequivalency'oftheclaims are therefore intended whe 'embraced therein. g

This application is indivision of 'my application Serial No. 478,411 filed August 28, 1930.

What I claim and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is: V 1. In combination. a supporting structure hav- 10 ing an elongated sloi'ca trim panel havingan elongated slot extending in a direction transverse ,tothedirectionofsaidflrstnamedslotanda' body, a metallic supporting structure having anelongatedfastener receiving slot, a trim. panel having an opening traversed bythe shank of a 'spring stud fastener and within which said shank 2g ycanturn,andasprlng'studfastenerhavinga head bearing on the panel adjacent said .opening and a shank, having a maior and a minor transverse dimension, 'disposed in said slot with its maior dimension extending in the direction oi 30 lthe major dimension of the slot. 3. In combination, a covered automobile trim panel having'a perforationinitsbody, ametallic supporting structure having a fastener receiving opening in approximate registry with said perfo- 35 ration, and a spring fastener yieldingly drawing the panel toward said structure. said fastener 4includingapairofsenaraiedheadsections disposedbetweenthecoveringmateriaiandbodyof thepanelaudarmsdisposed-instanteangular40 extending aillent v-shapedbetween said arms formingwithsaidarmstheshankofthefastener,

forcingsaidarmsandheadsecticnsintocontactwiththewallsofsaidperfora- 'tionandsaidarmaintocontactwithsaidopening tllllrlilltvweillill,tliebodyamistruc.y ture together-in the anglesbetwemsaidhead Y:non amos. "n 

